Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Deknavona’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Deknavona’, characterized by its decorative-type inflorescences with pale pink and purple-colored ray florets; strong and upright flowering stems; freely flowering habit; early and uniform flowering response; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Deknavona’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium,commercially grown as a cut flower and hereinafter referred to by thename ‘Deknavona’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Hensbroek, The Netherlands. The objectiveof the breeding program is to create new freely floweringdecorative-type Chrysanthemum cultivars with unique ray floretcoloration and excellent postproduction longevity.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by theInventor in Hensbroek, The Netherlands on Jan. 20, 2005 of a proprietaryselection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number00.4758.04, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with aproprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as codenumber 41241, not patented. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered andselected by the Inventor as a flowering plant from within the progeny ofthe stated cross-pollination in a controlled greenhouse environment inHensbroek, The Netherlands on Oct. 12, 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttings in acontrolled greenhouse environment in Hensbroek, The Netherlands sinceOct. 28, 2005, has shown that the unique features of this newChrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successivegenerations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Deknavona’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Deknavona’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum:

-   -   1. Decorative-type inflorescences with purple and pale        pink-colored ray florets.    -   2. Strong and upright flowering stems.    -   3. Freely flowering habit.    -   4. Early and uniform flowering response; plants flower about        seven weeks after the start of photoinductive treatments.    -   5. Good postproduction longevity; plants maintain good substance        for about four weeks in an interior environment.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the female parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum are not as vigorous as plants        of the female parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have larger inflorescences        than plants of the female parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower earlier than plants of        the female parent selection.    -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the female parent        selection differ in ray floret color as plants of the female        parent selection have pink-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ from plants of the male parentselection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have smaller leaves than        plants of the male parent selection.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have smaller inflorescences        than plants of the male parent selection.    -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower earlier than plants of        the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of theChrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Lollipop’, not patented. In side-by-sidecomparisons conducted in Hensbroek, The Netherlands, plants of the newChrysanthemum differed from plants of ‘Lollipop’ in the followingcharacteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were not as vigorous as        plants of ‘Lollipop’.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller leaves than        plants of ‘Lollipop’.    -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences        than plants of ‘Lollipop’.    -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered earlier than plants        of ‘Lollipop’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceof the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true asit is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of thistype. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the colorvalues cited in the detailed botanical description which accuratelydescribe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering stem of ‘Deknavona’ grown as a spray type.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up of a typical floweringstem of ‘Deknavona’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where generalterms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementionedphotographs and following observations and measurements describe plantsgrown during the winter and early spring in Hensbroek, The Netherlands,under commercial practice in a glass-covered greenhouse. Plants wereinitially given long day/short night treatments followed by shortday/long night treatments to induce flower initiation and development.During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C.to 25° C., night temperatures ranged from 20° C. to 22° C. and lightlevels were about 7 kilolux. Plants were pinched one time and were aboutnine weeks from planting when the photographs and the description weretaken.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Deknavona’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number            00.4758.04, not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary selection of            Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 41241,            not patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About four to six days at 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About 13 to 15 days at            20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching, moderately dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance/growth habit.—Herbaceous decorative-type cut            flower that is typically grown as a spray-type. Moderately            vigorous growth habit.        -   Flowering stem description.—Aspect: Erect. Length: About            60 cm. Spray diameter: About 15 cm to 20 cm. Diameter: About            5 mm. Number of lateral branches: About seven to nine.            Lateral branch length: About 15 cm to 20 cm. Lateral branch            diameter: About 3 cm to 6 cm. Internode length: About 1 cm            to 2 cm. Texture: Finely pubescent; longitudinally ridged.            Color: Close to 146A to 146B.        -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:            About 6 cm to 10 cm. Width: About 5 cm to 7 cm. Apex:            Cuspidate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed; sinuses            divergent. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent,            slightly rough; veins prominent on lower surface. Venation            pattern: Pinnate, reticulate. Color: Developing foliage,            upper surface: Close to 137C. Developing foliage, lower            surface: Close to 146A. Fully expanded foliage, upper            surface: Close to 147A; venation, close to 146A. Fully            expanded foliage, lower surface: Between 146A and 147B;            venation, 147B. Petiole: Length: About 2 mm to 3.5 cm.            Diameter: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Slightly rough. Color, upper surface: Close to            146B. Color, lower surface: Close to 146C.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with            obovate-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on            terminals, arising from leaf axils. Ray and disc florets            develop acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences slightly            fragrant.        -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flower            in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other            times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development            can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at            least 13.5 hours of darkness). Early and uniform flowering            response; plants exposed to two weeks of long day/short            night conditions after planting followed by photoinductive            short day/long night conditions flower about seven weeks            later when grown as a spray-type.        -   Postproduction longevity.—In an interior environment,            inflorescences and foliage will maintain good color and            substance for about four weeks. Inflorescences persistent.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit; when            grown as a spray type, about 25 inflorescences per flowering            stem develop.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4.5 cm to 5 cm. Depth            (height): About 1.5 cm. Disc diameter: About 1 cm to 1.5 cm.            Receptacle height: About 2 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 2            mm to 3 mm. Receptacle color: Close to 145B to 145C.        -   Inflorescence buds.—Shape: Flattened spherical. Height:            About 4 mm. Diameter: About 7 mm. Color: Between 144A and            137B.        -   Ray florets.—Length: About 1 cm to 2.2 cm. Width: About 6 mm            to 9 mm. Shape: Obovate. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Attenuate.            Margin: Entire. Angle: Initially upright to close to about            80° from vertical. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:            Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Number per inflorescence: About 90            arranged in about nine whorls. Color: When opening, upper            surface: Close to 69C; towards the apex, close to 77B. When            opening, lower surface: Close to 69B; towards the apex,            close to 77B. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 76D.            Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 76D; towards the apex,            overlain with close to 75A.        -   Disc florets.—Shape: Fused tubular, elongated. Apex:            Dentate. Length: About 4 mm to 5 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm            to 1 mm. Number per inflorescence: About 15, massed at the            center. Color: Apex: Close to 144A. Mid-section: Close to            153D. Base: Close to 145D.        -   Involucral bracts.—Length: About 5 mm. Width: About 3 mm.            Shape: Ovate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Obtuse to truncate.            Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,            glabrous. Number per inflorescence: About 20 arranged in two            whorls. Color, upper surface: Close to 137C. Color, lower            surface: Close to 137B.        -   Peduncles.—Length: About 9 cm to 13 cm. Diameter: About 1.5            mm to 2.5 mm. Angle: Erect to about 30° from vertical.            Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Pubescent;            longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 146B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium:            Present on both ray and disc florets. Style length: About            3 mm. Style color: Close to 145D. Stigma color: Close to            151A.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under    commercial conditions.

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Deknavona’ asillustrated and described.